School board OKs new start time for Eagle Peak

Despite strong lobbying by one member for starting classes later at Ukiah High School, the Ukiah Unified School District's board of trustees Tuesday voted to change only the start time for Eagle Peak Middle School.

"We can't change kids' biology, and as adults, it's our job to adjust to kids, not their job to adjust to us, because they can't," said board member Anne Molgaard, adding that if UHS began classes later than 7:30 a.m., students' grades would not only increase, but tardiness, absences and health problems would decrease.

"I don't think the status quo is working, and if you talk to students and teachers, they're not satisfied," Molgaard continued, explaining that she wanted UHS to begin classes at 9 a.m., but she was settling for 7:50 a.m., which was part of Option A in a list of alternatives the board was considering.

However, that scenario would require two more bus drivers, costing an additional $6,000, and UUSD staff said it has proved very difficult for the district to hire and maintain bus drivers, due in large part to the drawn-out, complex schedules and low salary.

"I'm really disappointed, because I feel like we let bus schedules dictate too much in our schedules," said board member Megan Van Sant. "I feel like the decisions we're making tonight are going to be about bus schedules rather than what's best for students."

Van Sant also said, "I really want that 20 minutes for the high school. I feel that's important."

Board member Bea Arkin said she didn't think the 20 minutes "would make a huge difference," and student adviser Monica Ruiz said the majority of students she talked to wanted to keep the school's start time, primarily because they had jobs, sports and family obligations they needed to get to after school.

Jennifer De Vinny, retiring principal of Oak Manor Elementary, said students who used to attend school in Hopland are now picked up by the bus at 7:05 a.m. for a class time of 8:40 a.m. at Oak Manor, since the Hopland school was closed in 2010.

"That is so unacceptable -- I can't believe this has been going on for a year," said Van Sant. "That is a failure on our part to serve that community. I am outraged."

Michelle Aguilar-Brown, local president of the California School Employees Association, said as a parent of a teenager, she supported a later start time for UHS, and was dismayed at the length of time Hopland kids spend on the bus.

"When we closed Hopland, we promised those parents their kids would not be on the bus for an hour," Aguilar-Brown said. "I am devastated that we have not done that."

Superintendent Deb Kubin said the process of exploring start times and bus schedules had been "very difficult," and she felt strongly that Option A would not work, "due primarily to the difficulty of hiring bus drivers.

"Frankly, I'm not sure how we would make Option A work," Kubin continued. "If you tell us to make it work, we could try."

Arkin then made a motion for Option D, changing Eagle Peak Middle School's start time to 8:05 a.m. and leaving the rest of the schools the same, and it passed with four votes from Arkin, board president Kathy James, Bill Rantala and Gail Mon Pere.

Van Sant also suggested a directive that the school district "repair the issue" of students being driven from Hopland having to wait on the bus for an hour before school.

Justine Frederiksen can be reached at udjjf@ukiahdj.com, on Twitter @JustFrederiksen or at 468-3521.